


The Guardian of All of Eos

by SensationalSunburst



Series: PawPaw!Cor [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cid is Old, Cid talks a lot of shit, Cor has embarrassing stories, Cor is adopting everyone's kids, Cor is everyone's adopted dad, Gen, kinda funny?, kinda sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-25 00:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9795071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SensationalSunburst/pseuds/SensationalSunburst
Summary: Cor was growing tired of outliving his friends.But he could have guessed that Cid would not go quietly into that good night.





	

Cor stood uncomfortably behind Cindy in the still luxurious hallway of the Leville as they waited for Cid’s nurse to open his door. Despite the darkness that had necessitated the hotel's swift change from luxury suites to efficiency apartments, the staff refused to allow the property to fall even an inch outside their standards. The railings were still shined to a mirror finish, windows crystal clear and carpet immaculate.

They, like most, were banking on the return of the dawn to restore the normal, balmy days.

Cor Leonis however, who had been flogged and beaten by time and misfortune, had no such expectations, and had therefore been less than shocked when Cindy's tear stained visage had appeared outside his office-slash-apartment, bringing news of the worst sort. He’d dismissed his make-shift generals, gathered around a well worn map, at once and they had mumbled condolences as they streamed out the door and around the famous mechanic. Cindy for her part, had thanked each in turn, but had been unable to manage a smile that reached her eyes.

Cor had followed her then, through the overcrowded, overheated streets of Lestallum, dodging around merchants, musicians and children. The later of which were too young to remember or even have seen, what day looked like.

Cindy had just arrived in Lestallum, so wrapped up in her work for the hunter’s base that had sprung up there that only the news of Cid’s rapidly failing health had been enough for her and her Hunter motorcade to brave the Darkness to reach the city.

Cid had gotten old in the time he’d been away, Cor thought as they ascended the stairs of the Leville. He’d halfheartedly returned the wave of the clerks as they entered, his unfocused gaze centered on the swish of the blond ponytail in front of him. Cid’s disease, incurable without both Insomnia's medical teams and equipment, had progressed aggressively and left the man bound to a bed in accommodations he’d once dogged Regis for appreciating.

And yet, despite the fact that it was Cor that had somehow managed to acquire the surname ‘Immortal,’ he had always that the moniker applied to Cid, instead. The gruff, compassionate elder brother that he’d never asked for.

“There you are,” the man in question wheezed as his nurse opened the door. A tiny thing, seemingly too small to wrestle with the handful that was Cid in any health; she had taken up her place at his bedside the moment it had become clear that he was going to need more constant care. The women smiled softly at Cindy and nodded to Cor, before gliding past them to pull Cindy aside for an update. Cor stepped inside and allowed his lips to pull themselves in a smirk as the door swung shut behind him at the sight of Cid, still adorned with his red Hammerhead trucker’s cap, donned in black silk pajamas and propped against the headboard with a mountain of pillows. He was the king of this small kingdom and Cor followed his unspoken demand as he took a seat in the plush scarlet high backed reading chair that had been dragged to his bedside.

“I suspect that you know why you’re here.” Cid turned his gaze away from Cor’s eyes, where they had settled as the Marshal had sat down, and focused instead on the glowing blue tips of the meteor visible from the room’s wide windows. The windows themselves were open, letting in the lively sounds of the streets below in through the tall, narrow shutters, but the distance in Cid’s expression said that he was seeing something hundreds of miles away.

“I have some idea.” Cor responded, speaking only to drag Cid away from whatever he was truly seeing.

“Good, I’ll keep it short then.” Cid smirked, turning his gaze back to Cor. The Marshal found that he was leaning forward in his own seat, inches away from resting his hands atop the bedspread; a learned behavior from a lifetime ago, when they had been seated around their own campfires telling their own stories atop familiar havens dotted around the countryside.

“Cindy’ll be easier to look after than Regis’s boy, trust. But she’s stubborn as a mule, and ya might have to drag her out that garage of hers when everything's said and done.” Cid’s expression had settled into one of unusual and unnerving seriousness.

“I’m wrapping things up here, and if what LaRissa whispers is anything to go by, it’ll be sooner rather than later. I need to know someone is going to look after her.” Cid’s voice had broken halfway through his order (as Cor knew what he was asked was not a request), and he’d wheezed the remainder of it out, heedless of the way the simple act of speaking left him breathless. Cor took a moment to swallow the sudden and unwelcome lump in his throat before answering.

“Of course.” He nodded, and he found that his right fist had automatically drifted to rest over his heart. Cid scoffed and rolled his eyes, but Cor found that the gesture was empty it’s usual sarcasm.

“If this keeps up,” He continued, “I’m going to be the guardian of all of Eos.” He was shooting for snarky, but the words came out wrapped in bone deep exhaustion.

Cor had grown tired of outliving his friends. First Regis, then Weskham, and now Cid. Regis’s death still stung,  the wound ripped open every time he laid eyes upon the Prince’s own Crownsguard. Noctis had accepted his apology, or more, brushed it aside, but Cor had known, known somewhere deep, that when Regis had assigned only the Kingsglaive to the signing that he had reached the end of his road. Cor would never outlive his regret. Weskham too, had been unexpected, but hearing about it third hand had somehow made the blow a bit easier. Accordo refugees had comforted each other with tales of the owner of Mahgo, sacrificing himself to escort them to safety, wholly ignorant of what the man used to mean to the Kingdom of Lucis.

But Cid? Their eldest? Arguably wisest? To witness such a flame go out with a flicker, not a bang… It was an experience that Cor found himself unprepared for.

"Only because we know you’ll handle the job.” Cid rumbled, the gravel in his voice as thick as ever.

“Now then… Cindy!” Cid nodded once, satisfied that his request had been heard and would be honored, and rose his voice to cracking. Cindy was in the room before the last syllable of her name was called, the puffiness in her eyes more pronounced than ever. Evidently, the nurse had not given good news. Cid patted the bed beside him and Cindy kicked off her shoes to crawl up and curl herself around her grandfather, head resting on his shoulder.

“Cindy my dear, you’re going to help me fulfill a promise I made to Cor hear ages ago.” Cid expression morphed from one of endless affection to pure predatory glee as he turned his gaze from his granddaughter to Cor. Cor found himself drawing back instinctively  and he narrowed his eyes at the geezer suspiciously.

“Cid.” Cor warned, dread stronger than he ever felt fighting demons bubbling up in his stomach.

“Long ago, this numbskull pulled a stunt so profoundly stupid that it would have put a one-legged cactuar to shame.” Cid began, obviously gearing up for an epic tale. Cindy dabbed a worn checkered handkerchief under her eyes, but darted her gaze back and forth between her grandfather and the man she never knew could blush.

“Cid Sophiar, you swore!” Cor hissed.

“Regis, that soft-hearted fool, _he_ swore! I swore to the Six I’d tell your children-”

“I was there- You-! Senile!”

“ _Senile?_ Senile! Ha! You ain’t got no kids Cor, so my best girl is going to have to do!” Cid rumbled, defiant in the face of Cindy’s quiet, laughter laced pleas for his to ‘not push himself.’

“This, my dear, is the story of time when Cor Leonis-”

“Miss Aurum, ignore him. He has obviously lost his min-”

Cindy was in full blown giggles now at the desperate exasperated expression of the Marshall.

“ _Wept like a child_ -!”

“Cid. Cid _no_.” Cor’s head thumped back against his plush chair, unfortunately not knocking him unconscious as he had prayed it might.

“Because he thought he got the 113th Future King of Lucis, killed.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! Thanks so much for reading! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think!  
> :D


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